The Punisher - Prepwork IV

10 days worth of observation and contemplation have resulted in a slight detour down a more "scenic route". . . 

This weekend, I prepped Frank's replacement weapons--including the pistol. The pistol would not replace the kit-provided weapon; rather, it would be relocated to its holster. Unfortunately the kit-  provided holster is a mess!  So I ordered ICM's 1/24 SWAT Team Fighter no. 1 (#24101), the first in an ongoing series of law-enforcement tactical units. As a brief aside, this kit has its pro- blems with proportions, scale, etc., but the quality of the sculpting and casting is a solid A--or better! In any event, I purchased it for its 'W' sprue: weapons and accessories.

To date, I have fitted the "baseplate" of the holster to the figure. I have also reworked the one(!) cargo pocket (L), and added a R cargo pocket.

Stay tuned. . . !

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Spidey - Prep: Cab (2)

I spent some time working on the cab today. . . 

This truly is a disaster in scale modelling, but at least KM has provided enough resin that with careful planning, one can minimize the putty work. I am just about done re-scaling the propor- tions of the cab; and puttying the door, fender, and hood. 

More to follow. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

HOURMAN - Prepwork I

There's no time like the present, so let's get started. . . 

As you can well surmise, the figure is out of the "purple bath", and has been disassembled. To- day, I tapped and pinned the legs, and began refinishing the mantle. This is coming along quite nicely, and time permitting, it should be ready for putty by the weekend.

Movin' right along. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Rick Tyler, HOURMAN

Since The Punisher and Spidey will have a relatively prolonged stay on the workbench, I wanted to keep the pigments flowing in relatively short order, and so I decided on Hourman as my next painting project. . .

I grew-up as a Justice League of America fan; but in my later years, I began to gravitate more towards the Golden Age precursor organization, the Justice Society of America. And one of my favorite characters in the JSA was Rex Tyler, the "Man of the Hour", the Hourman. He would be succeeded by his son, Rick Tyler. And Alex Ross's rendition of Rick on the cover art of JSA #79 made an indelible impression on this old fan. When Eaglemoss released (2011) their Hourman entry in their DC Comics Super Hero Collection (#94), it was based on Hourman II in his new costume. Needless to say, I ordered it immediately!

At first glance, the 80mm figure appears to be better than most Eaglemoss offerings of this vin- tage; however, once the "purple bath"  began to do its job, it became obvious that the "above-average" finish was due to the extraordinarily heavy coat of paint! 

The figure is cast in 6 pieces: 5 lead pieces and a circular, DC-logoed resin plinth. The casting quality, while a solid B-/C+, is done no favors by the indifferent finishing and rough-handling of the pieces. In short, there is a fair amount of restorative finishing to be done before the figure is ready for priming. 

Stay tuned!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Daredevil - Painting II: The Devil - Wrapping-up

• Final outlining underway. . . COMPLETED

19.06.2018-

• Painted connecting collars of clubs (1/club) with Al lacquer.
• Steel cable connecting the clubs permanently attached.

There are a few more tweaks to be done here and there, most of which will be finished over the weekend. And then there will be the long-term tweaks done over time, as the paint settles to its final state. But other than this standard post-op follow-up, I am delighted to announce that . . . 

 "The Man Without Fear" is DONE!  

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

The Punisher - Prepwork III

As I indicated in the initial entry, one of the first things I did was rough-in the body-armor. The most difficult aspect of adding a ballistic vest will be securing the references, since this item was, from all indications, custom-made for the show, not a modified piece of commercial tactical wear.

As I intend this figure to be a "Marvel mutt"--a conflation of the printed and cinematic characters-- I will have a fair amount of leeway with which to play. . . Still, whatever I do must be believable and realistic. 

More to follow. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

The Punisher - Prepwork II

Yesterday, I received the replacement weapons from 3dscalemodels (via Shapeways). In a word...OUTSTANDING! These magnificent 3d-printed renditions will replace the off-scale and/
or miscast eyesores that are provided in the kit. 

Today, I began preparing the weapons-swap by removing the kit-provided weapons. Removing weapons cast in situ is arguably one of the hardest things to execute in any conversion. The quality of the sculpture, casting, and medium-used will ultimately determine the ease--or diffi- culty!--of the undertaking: this one was harder than it should have been. Regardless, the hands are now ready to accommodate the new weapons--once I decide how I am going to arm The Punisher!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Daredevil - Painting II: The Devil - Oils (4): The Accessories

With the reds of the torso settled to my satisfaction--and dry to the touch, it was time to launch the run for the end. . . 

The gauntlets and clubs are now done. Later today--or tomorrow, I will all-but-finish the project with the painting of the cowl. I then foresee a week or so of settling and drying, before commenc- ing the wrapping-up, which will be relatively lengthy and involved with this project.

Stay tuned. . .

FOLLOW-UP. . . The cowl is done! And thus can the project now be deemed completed!! But as with most so-called completed projects, it will not vacate the painting bench for at least another fortnight, give or take. The "best" is yet to come!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Knight Models' Spider-Man (KMV014) + Prep: Cab (1)

Knight Models’ first Spider-Man offering (KMV014) was released in 2010, sculpted by José Miguel Caballero Delso.Through Q3--or thereabouts--of 2012 it was offered as a LE of 500 in the then-familiar metal container; as of September of that year, the LE format was discontinued, as were the metal containers. Henceforth, all releases would be open editions packaged in card- board slider containers.

The reason I mention this, other than historical background, is that I recently purchased a post- 2012 release of Spider-Man. Did I receive one of the 500? Or did KM continue casting until their mold sets gave-up the ghost, thus extending their run? Frankly, I do not know since KM never responded to my inquiries at the time.

The figure is cast in 5 pieces; the cab in 4 (1 resin; 3 WM). . . 

The figure. The casting is VG. . . for Knight Models, it is EXCEPTIONAL! Fit is overall G+/VG, with the only issue being that of differential-volumetric shrinkage. The medium is about as good as it gets, but there are indications (slight pitting, discoloration, etc.) that its operational temper- ature range was pushed—read: user error, disregard, and/or indifference.

The cab. As good as the figure is, the cab is equally as bad—or worse! The resin is, for once, actually quite good—VG, in fact. The design, execution, and casting(?) of the master, however,
are deplorable! This is supposed to be a Checker cab: what did they use as a reference? Sadly, there are no scale models of this iconic element of a major US metropolitan cityscape in the latter half of the 20th c, but there are die-casts in abundance! And, as you can imagine, there is no shortage of literature and photographic references! I found two sets of scale drawings on-line!! So why, then, is this aspect of the kit such an execrable mess?! If one cares that the ‘pedestal’ for your friendly neighborhood webslinger should be every bit as good as the figure it is support- ing, then 90%+ of the prepwork on this kit will be the restoration/reclamation of the Checker!!!

That the Checker is so abominable should hardly come as a surprise given the boxart. Obviously, little thought or effort were expended on a what is a significant portion of the kit. Thus do we have a Yellow Cab depicted with but two(!) rows of elongated(!) checkers on the distinctive striping. There are no registration or inspection stickers, etc. It is understood that the design and produc- tion (D&P) teams are European; but the review/approval team was not. And should the fact that they are not American relieve the D&P teams of their obligation/s to thoroughly research the respective elements of the project?! Too much work? Then redesign the project. . .

Given the rather involved reclamation of the plinth of this figure, this will be a long-term project. Having said that, I am just about done reworking the door, and the supplied portion of the hood, which, btw. . . has no intake vents below the windshield on a Checker!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

The Punisher - Prepwork I

As I mentioned in the review of the piece, the first thing I did was remove the grenades. They simply did not "work", and aesthetically were an eyesore.

The next "target" was the belt. As a standalone item, this did not work for any number of reasons:

• Too wide.
• Brass flip-top buckle.
• Outdated pouches that serve little purpose.

And since I intended to sculpt body-armour on the figure, the pouches would have to go. I will replace/sculpt some of the pouches once all the underlying equipment is finished.

Finally, I roughed-in the foundation of the body armor. More on this later. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Daredevil - Painting II: The Devil - Oils (3): The Torso

Phase 1 of DD's torso is now done! There will be a significant amount of tweaking to set the tones and contrasts as I had envisioned them, but all in good time. . . 

Once the new reds settle a bit, I will continue with the gauntlets and the cowl, in that order.

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Knight Models' The Punisher (KMV001)

As the Scarlet Swashbuckler rapidly approaches the home stretch, it is time to start contemplat- ing the project that will take its place--on the workbench, at least. And as I am still all over the Netflix Marvel Cinematic Universe (TV), I hunted down what is a nigh-unto-impossible casting to find. . . the premier release in Knight Models' 70mm Marvel Universe, The Punisher (KMV001, #307/500).

I never was a big Punisher fan per se, but his appearance on Daredevil,S.2--and leading role in his eponymous series--has definitely won me over!

This figure was released some 9 years ago. Regrettably, many of the problems that would plague the manufacturer are evident in its very first release! The Punisher is cast in white metal (3 pcs. + plinth). The sculpture and design are quite adequate, but the problems with medium, casting, and quality control are all there. The metal is quite soft, with a notably low proportion of tin. Casting is a solid B-/C, while quality control wavers between a C and a low B. Save for the softness of the metal, I would deem this a slightly better-than-average Knight Models' offering.

This version of The Punisher is based, I believe, on The Punisher MAX iteration of the character. I intend to start with that as a base, and tweak the figure in the direction of Jon Bernthal's charac- terization in the Netflix series. Details to follow. In the meantime, I have removed the grenades; pegged the figure; and mounted it on its workbase.

More to follow. . . 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Daredevil - Painting II: The Devil - Oils (2): The Face

The face is now essentially done! I will revisit the fleshtones once the colors settle and the cowl is completed for final integration and enhancements, tonal tweaking, etc.; but otherwise, all that remains is. . . RED.

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Daredevil - Painting II: The Devil - Intermezzo

With the lower half of Daredevil painted and past touch-dry, there was but one thing left to do before continuing work on the project. . . having the Devil meet the Angel - PERMANENTLY!

And that is now done! Using VMS' Flexy 5K CA adhesive, I carefully slid DD into his pre-tapped and -fitted holes, making sure that his left lower leg was supported on the left wing--and walked away. 

Now comes the hard part: waiting until the CA is cured before handling the assembled project... 

FOLLOW-UP. . . That wasn't so hard. . . The glue was set to my satisfaction within a couple of hours. I let it cure for an additional couple of hours or so, and I then filled the hole of the painting rod, as well as bolstered the "footprints" on the Angel's wings. These small areas will be painted in the days to come. 

Movin' right along. . . 

UPDATE 07.06.2018. . . The touch-ups of the Angel have been completed! The major fill, that of the hole of the painting rod for DD, has been uc'ed. . . 

UPDATE 08.06.2018. . . The undersides of the trunks have now been completed in oils.

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Daredevil - Painting II: The Devil - Oils (1): The Legs

My approach to this figure will be unlike anything I have ever done. I intend to paint the lower half of the figure first, then permanently attach the figure to its "pedestal mount" (i.e., the Angel) once dry, and then complete painting the Devil and the Angel. 

So far so good. The Devil's lower half, executed in tones of cool-ish reds, with high-contrast shad- ing in black as a nod to the comic art, is essentially done: the structural shading remains to be done, but that will not be revealed until it is mounted.

More to follow. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Daredevil - Painting I: The Angel - Painting (2)

Phase II of the Angel is now behind me. To this point the basic stone coloration has been com- pleted, and staining and weathering have commenced. Acrylics continue to be the sole medium used.

Phase III will be the final stretch. I still have a bit more acrylic work ahead of me before beginning the finishing work with oils, stains, and pigments--dry and fixed.

Stay tuned!

UPDATE 05.06.2018. . . Phase III is well underway! In fact, by the eod, the Angel will be deemed all-but-done!! All that will remain is the final integration of the two completed components of this project. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Daredevil - Painting II: The Devil - UCing

The Devil is now undercoated! I was hoping to have it done by eod yesterday, and launch the oils today; but we were beset by a rather vicious cell yesterday afternoon that left the area without power for nearly 6 hours! At least 4 large trees were taken down off the main road!!

UCing is quick and easy on this figure. A single shade of red--Andrea Dark Red--was used. Tonal variations will be effected in oils.

More to follow. . . 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003